CNS Canada –– Questions over quality could be the biggest factor facing pea farmers in Western Canada this year, as a wet summer has caused sprouting, staining and bleaching in crops near the Manitoba/Saskatchewan border. “It was the rain after seeding that hurt us,” said Shannon Friesen, a regional crop specialist with the Saskatchewan government […] Read more
Pea prices steady but questions loom over water damage
Lentil prices rise with Prairie rains, Asian demand
CNS Canada — A lentil watcher says Canadian prices for the crop are surging higher right now, in response to frequent Prairie rains and international demand. “It’s more than your usual slow rally, it (the market) spiked higher; especially the greens, which are shooting up right now,” said Chuck Penner of LeftField Commodity Research in […] Read more
Manitoba edible bean yields ‘all over the board’
CNS Canada — Harvest of edible beans is underway in parts of Manitoba, with yields reported as variable so far. Yields on pinto beans have been reported as anywhere between 1,500 and 1,800 kilograms per hectare so far, with a range of 2,000-2,100 kg/ha on kidney and cranberry beans, according to Dennis Lange, farm production […] Read more
No hill of beans: fababean acreage soars, soybeans may be next
Faba bean acreage has increased tenfold in two years and could double again next year, with soybeans following suit
Reading Time: 3 minutes Every farmer knows a four-year crop rotation is best for good crops, healthy fields and managing pests. However, the four-year ideal often clashes with production reality: canola has been the big money-maker, and while legumes are good for nitrogen fixing, they usually pay less and can present big challenges with disease, standability and harvestability compared […] Read more
Lentil crop quality a concern
CNS Canada — Top-end Canadian lentils may be hard to find this year, as wet weather and the late harvest are expected to lead to quality downgrades. The lentil harvest in Saskatchewan, where the bulk of Canada’s crop is grown, is only about 23 per cent complete, according to the latest weekly report from Saskatchewan […] Read more
Manitoba beans progressing well, late harvest seen
CNS Canada — Manitoba edible bean crops have been progressing well over the past few weeks — but not enough, it seems, to push harvest back up to normal time slots. “The harvest is going to be a little later than normal,” said Francois Labelle, interim executive director for the Manitoba Pulse Growers Association. “It […] Read more
Chickpeas advancing, looking for frost-free September
CNS Canada –– Despite a late start, chickpea crops in Western Canada are seen to be progressing nicely as the harvest season approaches. “In general, the chickpea crop looks really good,” said Colin Young, owner of Midwest Investments at Moose Jaw, Sask. “Of course the acres tend to be south and west of Moose Jaw, […] Read more
More time granted to repay MCGA cash advances
Prairie grain and oilseed growers who took out cash advances in the 2013 crop year through the Manitoba Corn Growers Association (MCGA) now have more time to repay. The federal government on Tuesday announced a stay of default on repayment of advances made through the MCGA for crops in 2013 — resetting the repayment deadline […] Read more
Pulse Pops grab national honours
Reading Time: < 1 minute It’s mission accomplished for the Alberta creators of Pulse Pops, who recently won top honours — and a cheque for $2,500 — at the national finals of Mission ImPULSEible. University of Alberta students Anastassia Astrakhantseva, Christie Cheng, Diana Nguyen and Stacey Seufert created a frozen alternative to the popular cake pop from black beans, chickpeas, […] Read more
Watch for lygus bug damage on fababeans
The insects leave a black spot which is discounted by export customers
Reading Time: 2 minutes Central Alberta farmers planning to sell low-tannin faba beans for export will need to beware of lower tolerance levels for lygus bug damage. Snowbird is a low-tannin variety of faba beans commonly sold into the human market overseas. Parkland Alberta Commodities, a grain buyer based in Innisfail, Alberta, set the tolerance level for lygus bug-damaged […] Read more